Whats the point of modern science?

[Angrboda]

Don't mean to sound trollish- may come off that way, but I'm posting in good faith.

My question is, what is the point of the new sciences like astrophysics, quantum physics, etc. when the discoveries the research yields are so arcane that it doesn't even matter to anyone or change anything or help anyone?

I'm gonna pay for that, aren't I...

Science is built like a pyramid. The foundation is basic science / research, which investigates fundamental questions of the universe and physics; on top of that is applied science, using the theoretical underpinnings discovered by basic science to investigate "nature as she is"; on top of that comes engineering and technology, being the use of the findings of applied science to construct useful things, such as medicine, bridges, and computers.

Some of the more arcane findings have to do with probing the basic laws of the universe, so that we can investigate extrapolations of them in the fields of applied science. Three prominent ways of doing so are cosmology / astrophysics, research using accelerators or other tools which explore the properties of matter at extremes, and quantum physics. The reason for cosmology and astrophysics is, the universe as a whole acts as something of a giant magnifying glass for the basic properties of "stuff" and matter. By knowing how much stuff exists, what kind, and how that totality of stuff has unfolded throughout the history of the universe, we can reverse-engineer what must be true of all the stuff in the universe, from the small to the big. As to particle accelerators, when the universe was young, because it occupied a small space at extreme energies relative to now, matter behaved differently than it does now; only by raising matter to those energies can we determine how it behaved back then, and similar to before, we can reason backward to find novel behaviors of matter at current energies which we aren't currently aware of. Quantum physics has obvious use to applied physics, but one nuance is not obvious, that being that the equations which describe the behavior of matter at this scale reveals unexpected and counter-intuitive behaviors. By getting a more accurate picture of the actual mathematical description of the behavior, we're able to reveal novel properties of matter which are, effectively, hiding in plain sight.

All three basic sciences contribute a base of knowledge for applied science. Applied science refines that base into specific examples of the behavior of our universe. The bounty produced by applied science is used by engineers and other technologists to create technology which improves our quality of life in multiple ways, from helping us live longer, healthier lives and lowering our mortality rate, to getting the most benefit from the resources our environment has to offer, to allowing us to live lives filled with material goods, near instantaneous global communication, and access to storehouses of knowledge and wisdom undreamed of by prior generations.

So, in short, we pursue basic research because, ultimately, it helps us lead better lives.